A New Road for Cancer Drug Discovery

Dear Colleagues,

The landscape of cancer drug discovery is undergoing a transformation, driven by advances in molecular biology, artificial intelligence, and innovative therapeutic strategies. Traditional cytotoxic chemotherapies are being rapidly supplemented and, in some cases, replaced by targeted therapies that exploit specific molecular vulnerabilities in cancer cells. One emerging technology is the use of targeted protein degradation using DUB (Deubiquitinating enzymes), PROTACs, RIPTACs, DUBTACs, LYTACs, AUTACs and molecular glues to induce the selective degradation of cancer-promoting proteins, offering potent alternatives to conventional inhibitors.

Another major development involves the targeting of nontraditional pathways, such as glycosylation patterns, protein–protein interactions, protein–DNA interactions, protein–RNA interactions, and epigenetic regulators, areas previously considered undruggable. Immunotherapy continues to revolutionize treatment, with ongoing efforts to enhance immune checkpoint blockade, engineer T-cells, and repurpose existing drugs (e.g., SSRIs) to boost antitumor immunity.

Artificial intelligence and large-scale genomic screening are also accelerating the discovery of targets and optimizing the identification of leads, enabling personalized and more predictive drug development. The integration of environmental DNA mining and structural bioinformatics is further expanding the chemical diversity accessible for drug discovery.

For this Special Issue of Cancers entitled “A New Road for Cancer Drug Discovery”, we welcome original research articles and comprehensive reviews that address recent advances and emerging directions in oncology drug development. The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the identification of novel and previously undruggable targets, innovative therapeutic modalities such as PROTACs, molecular glues, and targeted protein degraders, as well as DNA/RNA-based therapeutics and immunomodulatory agents. We also welcome studies that explore cutting-edge strategies in precision medicine, artificial intelligence-guided drug discovery, and structure-based drug design. Submissions focusing on the mechanistic understanding of drug action, resistance mechanisms, combination therapies, and translational research that bridges laboratory findings with clinical application are strongly encouraged. In addition, we are interested in contributions that examine regulatory challenges, clinical trial design for next-generation therapeutics, and approaches to improving drug selectivity and efficacy. This Special Issue aims to showcase interdisciplinary efforts that define the future of cancer drug discovery and pave the way for more effective, targeted, and durable cancer treatments.

Dr. Navnath S. Gavande
Prof. Dr. Yubin Ge
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• cancer drug discovery
• artificial intelligence in drug discovery and development
• targeted therapy
• precision oncology
• targeted protein degrades
• small-molecule therapeutics
• immuno-oncology
• undruggable targets
• drug resistance mechanisms
• combination therapy